Demo flight at Oshkosh
I flew with Norm Labhart. Norm is easy going and friendly; the right kind of guy to demonstrate a plane. Flying at Oshkosh is very interesting. All the manufacturers are doing pattern work to demonstrate their planes. Lots of congestion. Norm flies for 15 minutes solo to verify everything is working correctly, then lands and taxi's to the side. One of the airshow volunteers leads me from behind the gate onto the active flight area, and over to Norm and the airplane. The airport is a beehive of frenetic activity. Planes landing and taking off every minute, and a long line of planes waiting to take off.
I strap into the plane while Norm supervises. I feel somehow nervous; a lot is riding on this flight. Six months of intense research and a week of vacation has brought me to this moment, sitting in the plane. The Mark 3 Xtra is the plane I like the most. It had the best airframe design, a lively and intelligent community of builders, and a supportive and dedicated company. I sure hope I will like flying it. We put on our headsets and test the intercom. I double-check my harness (the only thing keeping me inside the plane after all). Norm starts the engine. The perfect, muffled roar of the engine reminds me of a formula one racecar, or large motorcycle.
We Taxi Out
We taxi into the line of waiting aircraft, and talk about the standard preflight safety issues, then onto handling and other flight qualities of the Xtra. Norm mentions that safety rules dictate we will climb out less steeply since he has a passenger. This plane has an 80hp engine, and I have chosen the 100hp version. I make a mental note to expect a less than impressive climbout. Sitting on the ground I feel like I am sitting back on a recliner getting a suntan. Glass everywhere. So much room to stretch out, this is not the usual cramped cockpit with tiny windows to look through.
Take Off
Finally our turn to take off. Norm adds power and the tail is up in a couple of seconds. I press back into my seat as the engine pushes us down the runway, and in just a few more seconds, we are off. I feel like I am in an elevator. Not so much like we are roaring over the ground at high speed and climbing, but more like the ground is dropping away as we hold the same spot in space. The climb rate is so steep I can watch the end of the runway as we climb. Most of my past experience was in planes traveling at great speed that swallowed up the entire runway in seconds, clearing the fence at the end by hundreds of feet, instead today we climb to maybe 1000 feet then turn to the right and leave the airport, still before getting to the end of the runway. This is so cool.
As we climb the horizon looks like a hornets nest of airplanes going around the traffic pattern, sort of controlled chaos. Norm picks his way through the planes out of the area and in a couple of minutes we are clear of the airport. I begin to notice the incredible visibility. White clouds above and green fields with trees below. As we bank into a turn the world seems to twist underneath us. I am captivated. Norm hands over the controls, and I begin to fly. The controls feel light and responsive. With the engine in the back the rudder is solid and stable. Coordinated turns are easy. I do some steep turns and feel the G's. While in the middle of the turn I instinctively look back at the wing as it sits out there rigidly carrying the load. No flex here. I feel at ease carving these turns in the sky, very happy indeed.
Through Its Paces
Norm demonstrates some stalls and slow flight; I take over and do the same. No surprises, rock solid, a slight buffet, then a mush, with an easy recovery. Add power and it seems unwilling to stall. Very nice. Even with high angles of attack in slow flight and stall entry there is still great visibility over the nose. Flying this class of plane is largely about the incredible visibility. This is a whole new kind of flying I will enjoy very much.
Too quickly we need to head back to Oshkosh and land. Norm takes the controls and we head back to the stirred up hornets nest. No one is using the radio here-they can't too many airplanes, I am told. So we just sort of get in line and follow the guy in front of us to the airport. As we approach to land, I see a very different sight picture out the windshield. These kinds of planes seem to come in high and sort of dive for the runway. Norm lands very smoothly, and we roll out on the grass runway for what feels like 50 feet or so, then we are rolling along like a golf cart at 5 mph, and Norm taxi's to the side and shuts down. I can't wipe the grin off my face for the next 15 minutes.